Night Mooring at a Waterside Village - Lu You
/夜泊水村 - 陆游/
Where Quiet Ripples and Autumn Stars Share a Solitary Glow
【Important Note on Historical Authenticity】
While Lu You (1125–1210) wrote many poems featuring journeys on rivers and mooring at night, **no definitive record** in major anthologies attributes a poem explicitly titled “夜泊水村” (“Night Mooring at a Waterside Village”) to him. The text below is a **representative reconstruction** intended to illustrate how Lu You **might** have depicted such a scene, given his characteristic style. It should be viewed as a **creative homage** rather than a verified historical source.
【Reconstructed Chinese Text】
夜泊水村
一篙烟月系舟轻，
隔岸渔灯照客情。
细浪摇篷风自冷，
却听芦笛唤乡声。
【Literal English Rendering (Line by Line)】
Night Mooring at a Waterside Village
A single oar under the misty moon holds my boat, drifting light;
Across the shore, a lone fishing lantern reflects this traveler’s yearning.
Gentle ripples rock the canopy, a chill wind stirs through the night;
Then comes the soft call of a reed flute, echoing a distant sense of home.
While Lu You (1125–1210) wrote many poems featuring journeys on rivers and mooring at night, **no definitive record** in major anthologies attributes a poem explicitly titled “夜泊水村” (“Night Mooring at a Waterside Village”) to him. The text below is a **representative reconstruction** intended to illustrate how Lu You **might** have depicted such a scene, given his characteristic style. It should be viewed as a **creative homage** rather than a verified historical source.
【Reconstructed Chinese Text】
夜泊水村
一篙烟月系舟轻，
隔岸渔灯照客情。
细浪摇篷风自冷，
却听芦笛唤乡声。
【Literal English Rendering (Line by Line)】
Night Mooring at a Waterside Village
A single oar under the misty moon holds my boat, drifting light;
Across the shore, a lone fishing lantern reflects this traveler’s yearning.
Gentle ripples rock the canopy, a chill wind stirs through the night;
Then comes the soft call of a reed flute, echoing a distant sense of home.
In this **reconstructed** “Night Mooring at a Waterside Village,” we imagine Lu You halting his boat along a quiet river bend—a watery hamlet illuminated by faint lamps under the moon. While it diverges from the martial or patriotic themes that often mark Lu You’s oeuvre, such a reflective, understated scene still resonates with his poetic voice, which frequently balances external calm with an undercurrent of nostalgia or longing.
1. **Moonlit Ambiance and Minimalist Imagery**
- The opening lines center on the hush of evening—a “misty moon” over still waters, the boat held in place by a simple oar. This sense of quiet anticipation frames the poem.
2. **Glints of Human Presence**
- “A lone fishing lantern” on the opposite bank underscores the solitude of night travel. Even a small glow can become a point of emotional connection for a traveler far from home.
3. **Gentle Ripples, Subtle Chill**
- References to “gentle ripples” and a “chill wind” evoke physical details. These highlight both the vulnerability and the calm one experiences when moored in an unfamiliar place under the moon.
4. **Faint Echo of Home**
- The “reed flute” (芦笛) implies a local fisherman or herdsman playing a tune in the reeds—a common trope in classical Chinese poetry to conjure wistful longing for home or simpler days. Lu You, ever conscious of unachieved aspirations, might layer such a moment with personal reflection.
Though the poem here is a **creative tribute**, it captures the essence of how Lu You might treat the theme of solitary travel and nighttime mooring. The stillness of water and the soft call of a flute become metaphors for the poet’s inner hush—yet within that quiet breathes a profound awareness of time, distance, and memory.
Key points
• Depicts a tranquil mooring in a small riverside village by night.
• Balances minimal external action (a boat, a lantern, a soft breeze) with the poet’s inward sense of longing.
• Suggests how nature’s hush and faint human presence can intensify thoughts of home.
• Serves as a **reconstructed** glimpse, illustrating Lu You’s reflective style beyond his patriotic and historical themes.
